Blogs

Movement

6 TRX Moves to Build Total-Body Strength

Evan GrayApril 9, 2012

The TRX is a versatile piece of training equipment that can be used to build total-body strength and stability, and we’ve just added dozens of instructional videos to our TRX section. To help you get started using the TRX, we asked our performance specialists for a few of their favorite moves:

Leg Curl - Alternating (TRX)

“This is a great exercise to work your glutes, hamstrings, and pillar,” says Athletes’ Performance physical therapist Thomas Knox. “It builds muscle balance because you have to ensure equal pressure in each strap to keep the TRX from slipping back and forth.”

Plank with Alternating Hip Flexion - Hands in TRX

“This move encourages proper running form. It’s a difficult move, and in order to perform it without swaying side-to-side, you need stability from your shoulders to your glutes,” says Knox.

Biceps Curl - Assisted Stance (TRX)

Performance specialist Anthony Slater likes this move because it challenges the stability in the glutes and back in addition to working your biceps. “I don’t like spending time and effort training my arms in isolation, but using the TRX lets me get an arm blast while still developing pillar strength,” he says.

Triceps Extension - Assisted Stance (TRX)

“What’s great about this move is that it helps activate your abs at the same time you use your upper body,” says Slater. “I find it easier to justify doing arm work when I know I’m challenging my torso and getting whole-body benefits.”

Pillar Bridge with Shoulder Flexion - Feet in TRX

“I use this one a lot with my professional cyclists and runners,” says performance specialist Darcy Norman. “It teaches the athlete how to dissociate their lower half by not allowing the body to use it for extra stability. You’ll build a strong pillar, useful for almost every sport or activity.”

Squat with Hand Support (TRX)

“I like this one because it gives the body the opportunity to understand how to perform a fundamental movement pattern like the squat,” says Norman. “Every person should aspire for perfect squat mechanics. It’s something we are born with and somewhere along the line we lose it.”